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Ira Schwartz

Senior Coordinator of Policy and Administration, New York State Education Department

Ira Schwartz is Coordinator for Accountability, Policy and Administration at the Office of School Improvement and Community Services of the New York State Education Department. Among other responsibilities, Mr. Schwartz serves as chairperson of the Department's School Accountability Workgroup and supervisor of the Department's New York City Charter Schools Unit.

Mr. Schwartz was a lead designer of New York's framework for meeting the school and district accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind and a Peer Reviewer for the United States Department of Education of other states' NCLB accountability plans.

Since joining the State Education Department, Mr. Schwartz has been an Assistant to the Associate Commissioner, an Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner, and Project Director of the Regents New York City Project.

Standards, Challenges Should Shape Accountability

Ira Schwartz, Senior Coordinator of Policy and Administration for the New York State Education Department, addressed attendees about NCLB-driven accountability and student performance. Mr. Schwartz began with a poem about "No Child Left Behind" and continued to talk about designing an accountability system based on universal standards and differentiated challenges. Mr. Schwartz stated that the purpose of NCLB was for all students to have an equal chance to reach minimum proficiency by 2013-2014 in English and Math. He proposed that the more heterogeneous the school, the greater the differentiated challenge. Mr. Schwartz also stated that it is more difficult to bring students with disabilities to the standard of progress. In the past, students with disabilities were not included in surveys involving general proficiency requirements. To include them in those statistics and for those disabled students to keep pace with the universal progress prescribed by NCLB would mean major changes in programs designated for students with disabilities. The problems of racial and ethnic groups in urban settings is very disturbing. It appears that white students with disabilities are more likely than urban blacks or Hispanic students to graduate.

Mr. Schwartz noted there are improvement opportunities for students with disabilities under NCLB, and 90-95% of all these students should be able to meet requirements. For those students who still can't meet these standards despite the accommodations, the State Department of Education should advocate for a change in the accountability standard. Showing adequate yearly progress at the district level should satisfy minimum requirements, thus buying time to reach these goals. There appears to be a percentage of students with disabilities who are unable to meet the goals in the same time or in the same way as the other students, regardless of modifications.

A Few Words About NCLB
by Ira Schwartz

In January of the year 2002
George W. Bush made his education debut.
He put forth a law with bipartisan support
That was intended to change how students are taught.
For those of you who can remember that far back
NCLB's a revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Each state determines the level that students must attain
So you might be proficient in Ohio and be left behind in Maine.
The law says that next year we test grades three through eight
And for two years now we've had to disaggregate.
Whether we count by disability, language spoken, income or race
We must ensure all make progress towards proficiency at the same pace.
At getting students to school on exam day we must do our best
Because to succeed 95% of each group we must test.
Under NCLB, teachers cannot be merely alive
They also must be highly qualified.
For those who've just graduated from college
The key is to pass tests and show content knowledge.
Veteran teachers the HOUSSE they can request
So that they can get hired and teach to the test.
Now, a school not doing well we call a SINI
A district that fails to improve is therefore a DINI.
If for two years AYP you don't achieve
A school improvement plan you must conceive.
The plan must be researched-based, not something you invent
And you must set aside 10% for staff development.
Students in SINI's have the option to change their school
And you must make sure parents are aware of this rule.
If a third year goes by with nothing good to report
A low-income student is entitled to supplemental support.
If a SINI cannot make AYP for 4 years or more
The school is restructured and changes made galore.
By the year 2014, when all kids must be proficient
We all hope that the pension fund still is sufficient.
But for now let's do the best we can do
With these test scores and spreadsheets and report cards anew.
How to our district can we make all this clear
When people insist a SINI can't happen here?
So whether you have concerns about the 1% cap
The gray area kids, Safe Harbor or SRAP.
Let us work together to find the means to our end
I'm Ira Schwartz, I'm from SED, and I'm your friend.